Like a Lion

A lion’s roar can be heard five miles away and can even reportedly raise dust. Lions have always been admired for their power, strength, and courage. But along with their voices, their hearing is also so good that they can hear prey from a distance of one mile. Moreover, a lion’s sense of smell is so sharp that it can tell if prey is nearby or even ascertain how long ago it was in the area. Finally, the eyesight of a lion is five times better than that of a human’s.

There were many lions in the area of Palestine during Bible times, and the Bible tells many stories about how dangerous and aggressive they were, killing both people and cattle. “Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them” (Isaiah 31:4 KJV). Our adversary, the devil, is also compared to a roaring lion.

Lions have been known to make hidden dens, covered by branches and grass, where unsuspecting animals, wandering by, are attacked and eaten. Psalm 10:9 says, “He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.”

During Daniel’s time, the Babylonians used fire for punishment (the fiery furnace), but the Persians used lions. Even though Daniel was far away from his beloved home, he trusted implicitly in his God. Like Daniel, even though we can at times feel surrounded by the agents of the enemy, we can also trust in God’s power to keep us from both physical and spiritual harm. Let us do our part, however, to keep as far away as we can from the lion’s den.

Key Bible Texts

No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: (Isaiah 35:9 KJV)